Calvert City Strategic Plan
Core Values • Family-Oriented • Good Education • Small-town Feel • Strong Faith-based Community • Diversity of Outdoor Resources • Sense of Place • Safety
Listening Session What We Heard Great recreation • Great parks • Need to take of youth • Increase civic involvement • Expand tourism/branding • Need medical facilities/care • Need growth • Support and work with our • school Improve public perception • More evening activities • Need locally-owned • businesses
Design Session What We Saw Better signage • Housing • Recreation trails • Branding the city • River access • Local food • Groundwater protection • Water/spray park • Connection to state park •
What Students Said! What we like What we want Lakes Bowling alley, movies • • All-American, wholesome BBQ at the Lake • • place to live Festivals • You can walk everywhere • Special community events • Revolution • Utilize the stage at the park • The Drive-in • more often Parks • Shopping • Library • Family restaurants • Recreation opportunities • Newer apartments for young • Country Club adults • Something for everybody • The community cares about • us
What Students Said Concerns Not enough entertainment • Safety – parks and streets • Stray dogs • Retirement circle • We would move back after school if the job market was more • diverse We are aware that we are somewhat sheltered in Marshall • County. More opportunities to become culturally aware. If the industries fail, our city will also fail •
Creating a Diverse Future How? Calvert City will be: • A recreational trail hub • The most beautiful city in Kentucky • A thriving local economic center
Reality Check • Industry-based Economy • The Comfort Zone • Getting Smaller • Getting Older
Reality Check Industrial Realities A great economic • engine Low unemployment • Susceptible to “all the • eggs in one basket” syndrome Young people don’t see • opportunity Jobs could leave • Outside perceptions •
Reality Check The Comfort Zone • Apathy among residents • Things will always be this good • City is cash flush • Let’s wait • Missed opportunities
Reality Check Getting Smaller • Calvert City’s population is declining • Continued decline expected through 2030 • Shrinking workforce • Young people leaving and won’t return (though they’d like to)
Reality Check Getting Older • Median age is 44 • Largest population segment will retire before the 2020 census • Number of citizens over 65 living alone has tripled in the last 10 years
So What to Do? Refocus Reinvent Reimagine Create a 2 nd Economy! Who Is Calvert City?
A Recreational Trail Hub Connect Calvert City to the Lakes, River and Paducah • Create a “Green Line” trail to Kentucky Dam Village State Park, the Tennessee River and Paducah • Create a “Green Line” Trail Center on Main Street • Link all three city parks to Green Line and each other
Leverage Kentucky Dam Village • Bring the Village to Calvert City – Annex • Embrace KDV as a fully- integrated part of the city • Create a brand the ties the city and KDV • Focus on advantages for local residents first • Turn “local tourism” into “global tourism”
Proposed Trail to KDV
Along I-24
I-24 with Trail System
Alternative Transportation Many local residents already use alternative modes of transportation including: Bikes Walking Golf Carts One idea was to implement a “Complete Streets” plan. This concept may be possible in limited areas. One alternative for narrow streets in older neighborhoods might be traffic calming design in strategic locations.
The Most Beautiful City Develop Calvert City Art Trail – commission public art at key intersections creating a loop around town
Calvert City in Bloom! Blooming Calvert City – plant wildflowers along the interstate ramps that bloom from mid-March to mid-May
Calvert City in Bloom! Blooming Calvert City – plant flowering trees on the art trail loop – that bloom from mid-March to mid-May
A Thriving Local Economy Position Calvert City as the “authentic” place to stay and visit in the region Build an economy catering • to visitors Places to stay – locally • owned B&Bs, micro-hotels Places to eat - restaurants • featuring local food Create a community market • Develop wayfinding plan for • visitors
A City Center Focal Point
5 th Avenue Spruced Up
Fulfill Local Needs • Identify local service gaps • What necessities for local residents and businesses are not provided locally? • Create List of job types that are needed and could be created locally • Leverage relation to outdoor activities (biking, hiking, hunting fishing, water sports) to build small businesses • Outfitters, guides, equipment sales and repair, locally made gear
Fulfill Local Needs Develop education • curricula and mentorship programs to assist youth in developing businesses that support the brand identity Utilize access to high speed • POP 3 to attract tech based start ups – sell small town quality of life in an outdoor setting with great education for children Recruit people with business • ideas to further brand identity
Address Medical Needs • Is elder care being addressed sufficiently? • Need more medical specialists locally – perhaps a Physician’s Assistant • Urgent Treatment Center • Career training and opportunities for career paths locally
Address Housing Needs A Difficult Challenge • Start with a Housing Study What’s needed? o Who is interested? o Where to build? o Price range? o Who are the local developers? o Are townhouses/condos the o answer? Can the community capture o the upscale market?
Think Big! From the Port to the Park • Develop an “Eco- industrial Park” concept for land designated by the Port Authority • Connect this Eco-Park to I-24
Think Big! From the Port to the Park Work with the State to • negotiate a sale of the Airport to a private company Facilitate development of a • “Western Kentucky International Airpark” cargo facility that links multi- modally to the existing industries in Calvert City as well as in the new Eco-Park.
Next Steps • Don’t be intimidated • Take small steps first • Build project teams o Recreation o Trails o Local business o Beautification o Marketing/Branding o Economic development
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